the purpose of education

The Purposes of Education 1
Discussion Paper
AbstractThis paper was written to open up debate and engage the Queensland community in a conversation of fundamental significance to Queensland’s future. Included in the consultation process were parent and teacher organisations; business, union and community leaders; academics working in the field of education; education officials and people within the Queensland Government with an interest in or responsibility for educational matters.

Consultation Paper: The Purposes of Education

The Purposes of Education
A research project commissioned by Education Queensland
as a contribution to the development of
Queensland State Education: 2010

Consultation Paper
Prepared to assist consultations with
the Queensland community

Kaye Schofield
May 1999

Setting out, clearly articulating or changing the aims of education are three of the most fundamental changes that could be made to any education system. There is, therefore, a great temptation on the part of politicians and indeed of society as a whole to avoid or to put off such a discussion. Christopher Winch, Quality and Education, 1996

31 May, 1999

2

Consultation Paper: The Purposes of Education

Background to this projectEducation Queensland has commenced a project - Queensland State Education: 2010 - to explore and generate ideas about the future of schooling in Queensland. As part of this process, Education Queensland has commissioned Kaye Schofield to prepare a Research Paper on The Purposes of Education. The Research Paper is intended to stimulate thinking within the Queensland community and to inform policy and strategy development in Education Queensland.

The first stage in this research project involves consultation with a wide range of individuals and organisations with an interest in the purposes of education in Queensland. Those to be consulted include parent and teacher organisations; business, union and community leaders; academics working in the field of education; education officials and people within the Queensland Government with an interest in or responsibility for educational matters. This paper is meant to assist the consultation process. Therefore it does not argue for any particular set of purposes of education. Rather, it is written to open up debate and engage the Queensland community in a conversation of fundamental significance to Queensland’s future. The views expressed through the consultation process will contribute to the development of the Research Paper on the Purposes of Education which will, in turn, contribute to the wider strategic planning processes for Education Queensland.

All those with an interest in the future of education in Queensland are invited to comment on the Issues Paper, or on any particular aspect of it. So that your comments can be considered in the preparation of the Research Paper, they will need to be received by no later than 30 June 1999.

Your comments may be sent to the following address. All will be treated in confidence.

The Consultation QuestionsThis Consultation Paper is based on the idea that there is no one right way to think about the purposes of education over the next decade in Queensland. Answers to the question of educational purposes lie inside a galaxy formed by the different views of different groups within our community each of whom thinks about purposes in different ways. Only by considering the question from many different perspectives, and by thinking differently, will we be able to negotiate a useful statement of purposes of education to guide future action. The consultations will look for answers to the following five...

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